Page 15 of 110
14
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
health. I have seen them catering food under conditions as different from that in force on licensed Food Premises as when germs were unknown to exist is from modern sanitation. May I urge that Cooked Food Stalls and unlicensed Food Premises be brought to observe existing regulations that would ensure the safety of public health.
I regret that I was abroad when the Housing Authority's public meeting was held last year, and was therefore unable to put forth a suggestion I would like to have advanced. Accommodation allotted to successful applicants does not include living space for their respective parents. One may argue it is a practice adhered to by all western countries, but we must take into account the customs of the people, the conditions and the locality whether such a ruling is practicable. The Chinese lay great emphasis on being filial, and it is a virtue to support and care for one's parents. Such being the situation in a cosmopolitan community composed of over 90% Chinese, I look forward to the day when parents of successful applicants can be included for accommodation in the Housing Authority's estates, thus obviating hardship and frustration of a people who would like to enjoy their culture, traditions and customs unimpaired.
With these observations, Mr. Chairman, I take great pleasure to endorse your statement of Progress and Policy.
DR. R. H. S. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, when the final result of the census becomes known, I am sure it will confirm our earlier estimate that the population of Hong Kong is now over the three million mark. It means of course that this figure is more than five times that of the immediate post-war period, and about twice that of the pre-war period when Hong Kong even then had a refugee problem. I don't think, Mr. Chairman, any one will want to quarrel with Government in its policy of assimilating the refugees into the community so long as it realizes that the snag of adopting such a policy lies in the greatly increased need to supply such services as housing, medical, education and transportation for so large a number of people from our limited resources. In spite of our unremitting efforts to solve these problems, we are still as far from reaching our target as ever because it appears that there is no end to the ever increasing number of people entering the Colony.
Because of the health and fire hazards of squatter settlement, we must accelerate the resettlement programme with greater vigour. In order to make a greater impression on this question, we must build to resettle at least 100,000 squatters a year. The present policy of providing resettlement accommodation only to squatters on crown land required for development needs revision, because I feel that it is high time that some step should be taken towards the clearance of urban street and roof-top squatters. We owe the long suffering tax-payers an undisputed duty of ensuring them peaceful and sanitary occupation of their premises. Owing to the distinctly residential character of offensive trade districts such as Kennedy Town, it is about time that Government should take steps to remove them to the New Territories. I suggest that the Resettlement Department should be charged with the task of resettling them in newly developed areas such as Tsing Yi where it could be of nuisance to no one.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
15
undisputed duty of ensuring them peaceful and sanitary occupation of their premises. Owing to the distinctly residential character of offensive trade districts such as Kennedy Town, it is about time that Government should take steps to remove them to the New Territories. I suggest that the Resettlement Department should be charged with the task of resettling them in newly developed areas such as Tsing Yi where it could be of nuisance to no one.
Mr. Chairman, I am happy to note that Government has at last given the important question of housing the lower income groups, particularly those earning less than $300 per month, the proper attention that it deserves. I welcome this timely move in filling the gap produced by the work of the Housing Authority and that of the Resettlement Department, because the housing need is felt to be greatest in this category, which is at present uncatered for, and which forms the bulk of the community. To produce any noticeable improvement in this large group, it is necessary to launch a large and continuous building programme to rehouse at least 20,000 persons a year with the concomitant development of satellite towns in the New Territories such as Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Castle Peak.
Until we can provide better accommodation for the urban dwellers, Mr. Chairman, it is the plain duty of this Council to improve the sanitary conditions of the urban areas. Although it has re-introduced a modified form of house cleansing, and has carried out regular house inspections and health education campaigns, the sanitary condition of the more densely populated districts still leaves much to be desired. If more regular surprise visits were made by senior members of the Department to check on the work of the sanitary staff, I am sure, Mr. Chairman, more improvement in this direction could be effected.
Because of the heavy building that is taking place in the urban areas, and the grossly over-crowded conditions of the tenements, there is definitely a case for more frequent street washing than once a week for these areas, and in particular, more attention should be paid to the cleanliness of some of our markets, such as Western Market, Kowloon City Market and Aberdeen. I note with regret the gradual deterioration in cleanliness and the general lack of supervision to be seen in many individually owned flats of new multi-storey buildings. Unless some degree of supervision is insisted upon in these buildings, it can easily get out of hand. I think the Department should go into this question, and suggest measures which should be taken in regard to keeping these multi-storey buildings in a reasonable state of cleanliness. The Building Authority, Sir, should take note of these buildings, and plans should never have been approved where difficult and almost inaccessible ventilating wells and projecting ledges to collect refuse are permitted in the first place.
Page 15
Page 16
10
Page 15 of 110
14
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
health. I have seen them catering food under conditions as different from that in force on licensed Food Premises as when germs were unknown to exist is from modern sanitation. May I urge that Cooked Food Stalls and unlicensed Food Premises be brought to observe existing regulations that would ensure the safety of public health.
I regret that I was abroad when the Housing Authority's public meeting was held last year, and was therefore unable to put forth a suggestion I would like to have advanced. Accommodation allotted to successful applicants does not include living space for their respective parents. One may argue it is a practice adhered to by all western countries, but we must take into account the customs of the people, the conditions and the locality whether such a ruling is practicable. The Chinese lay great emphasis on being filial, and it is a virtue to support and care for one's parents. Such being the situation in a cosmopolitan community composed of over 90% Chinese, I look forward to the day when parents of successful applicants can be included for accommodation in the Housing Authority's estates, thus obviating hardship and frustration of a people who would like to enjoy their culture, traditions and customs unimpaired.
With these observations, Mr. Chairman, I take great pleasure to endorse your statement of Progress and Policy.
DR. R. H. S. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, when the final result of the census becomes known, I am sure it will confirm our earlier estimate that the population of Hong Kong is now over the three million mark. It means of course that this figure is more than five times that of the immediate post-war period, and about twice that of the pre-war period when Hong Kong even then had a refugee problem. I don't think, Mr. Chairman, any one will want to quarrel with Government in its policy of assimilating the refugees into the community so long as it real- izes that the snag of adopting such a policy lies in the greatly increased need to supply such services as housing, medical, education and trans- portation for so large a number of people from our limited resources. In spite of our unremitting efforts to solve these problems, we are still as far from reaching our target as ever because it appears that there is no end to the ever increasing number of people entering the Colony.
Because of the health and fire hazards of squatter settlement, we must accelerate the resettlement programme with greater vigour. In order to make a greater impression on this question, we must build to resettle at least 100,000 squatters a year. The present policy of providing resettlement accommodation only to squatters on crown land required for development needs revision, because I feel that it is high time that some step should be taken towards the clearance of urban street and roof-top squatters. We owe the long suffering tax-payers an
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
15
undisputed duty of ensuring them peaceful and sanitary occupation of their premises. Owing to the distinctly residential character of offensive trade districts such as Kennedy Town, it is about time that Government should take steps to remove them to the New Territories. I suggest that the Resettlement Department should be charged with the task of resettling them in newly developed areas such as Tsing Yi where it could be of nuisance to no one.
Mr. Chairman, I am happy to note that Government has at last given the important question of housing the lower income groups, particularly those earning less than $300 per month, the proper atten- tion that it deserves. I welcome this timely move in filling the gap produced by the work of the Housing Authority and that of the Resettlement Department, because the housing need is felt to be greatest in this category, which is at present uncatered for, and which forms the bulk of the community. To produce any noticeable improve- ment in this large group, it is necessary to launch a large and con- tinuous building programme to rehouse at least 20,000 persons a year with the concomitant development of satellite towns in the New Territories such as Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Castle Peak.
Until we can provide better accommodation for the urban dwellers, Mr. Chairman, it is the plain duty of this Council to improve the sanitary conditions of the urban areas. Although it has re-introduced a modified form of house cleansing, and has carried out regular house inspections and health education campaigns, the sanitary condition of the more densely populated districts still leaves much to be desired. If more regular surprise visits were made by senior members of the Department to check on the work of the sanitary staff, I am sure, Mr. Chairman, more improvement in this direction could be effected.
Because of the heavy building that is taking place in the urban areas, and the grossly over-crowded conditions of the tenements, there is definitely a case for more frequent street washing than once a week for these areas, and in particular, more attention should be paid to the cleanliness of some of our markets, such as Western Market, Kowloon City Market and Aberdeen. I note with regret the gradual deteriora- tion in cleanliness and the general lack of supervision to be seen in many individually owned flats of new multi-storey buildings. Unless some degree of supervision is insisted upon in these buildings, it can easily get out of hand. I think the Department should go into this question, and suggest measures which should be taken in regard to keeping these multi-storey buildings in a reasonable state of cleanliness. The Building Authority, Sir, should take note of these buildings, and plans should never have been approved where difficult and almost inaccessible ventilating wells and projecting ledges to collect refuse are permitted in the first place.
Page 15Page 16
10
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.